When schools do not meet State targets for improving the achievement of all students, parents need to have better options, including the option to send their child to another school.

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) responds to that need by giving parents of children enrolled in schools that receive Title I funding and that are identified for “school improvement” the opportunity to transfer their children to a school that has not been so identified. These provisions of the statute, along with other elements that focus new attention and resources on turning around the schools identified for improvement, are critical mechanisms for achieving the vision embodied in NCLB, a high-quality education for all children.

The No Child Left Behind Act amended the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) in a number of areas to strengthen parent involvement and choice in education. The most critical amendments, and the subject of this guidance, require LEAs to provide the opportunity to transfer to another school to students enrolled in schools that administer Title I programs and that have been identified for (1) school improvement, (2) corrective action, or (3) restructuring (both in the planning year for restructuring and in any implementation years).